Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to video processing technology and, more particularly, to a scalable video coding method and apparatus for coding/decoding a video.
Discussion of the Related Art
As broadcasting service having High Definition (1280×720 or 1920×1080) is extended domestically and globally, lots of users are becoming accustomed to pictures of high resolution and high picture quality and thus lots of organizations put spurs to the development of the next-generation picture devices. Furthermore, as interest in Ultra High Definition (UHD) having resolution 4 times higher than the HDTV, together with HDTV, is increasing, moving picture standardization organizations have recognized a necessity for compression technology for a picture of higher resolution and high picture quality. Furthermore, there is a need for a new standard which can provide the same picture quality as that of the existing coding methods and also provide lots of advantages in terms of a frequency band and storage through compression efficiency higher than that of H.264/Advanced Video Coding (AVC), that is, a moving picture compression coding standard that is now used in HDTV and mobile phones. Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) and Video Coding Experts Group (VCEG) jointly perform a standardization task for High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), that is, the next-generation video codec. An outline object of HEVC is to code a video, including a UHD image, in compression efficiency that is twice that of H.264/AVC. HEVC can provide not only HD and UHD images, but also an image of high picture quality in a frequency lower than a current frequency even in 3D broadcasting and mobile communication networks.
In HEVC, a prediction picture can be generated by performing prediction on a picture spatially or temporally, and a difference between an original picture and the predicted picture can be coded. Picture coding efficiency can be improved by this prediction coding.